Remote control device



March 19, 1968 R. o. GUTTING 3,373,623

REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE Filed Dec. 23, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mumuumuINVENTOR.

' BY PENDLEYU/V, zvsum/v ss/aow q mums A fro/way.

United States Patent 3,373,623 REMGTE CONTROL DEVICE Robert D. Gutting,Topeka, Kans., assiguor to The Home-O-Nize (30., Muscatine, Iowa, acorporation of Iowa Filed Dec. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 604,423 12 Claims.(Cl. 74388) This invention relates to new and useful improvements inremote control devices, and has particular reference to devices of atype adapted to initiate operation of a power-driven apparatus from aremote control station and to terminate operation after said apparatushas performed some desired function depending upon the period ofoperation thereof. An exemplary use of the device is in connection withconveyors, whereby any of a large number of objects supported along saidconveyor may be moved to some key position. For example, in adrycleaning establishment, garments ready for pickup by customers may behung by the usual garment hangers from books carried by a lengthyconveyor, with one point of the conveyor directly adjacent the clerksnormal station. The hooks may be numbered according to their position onthe conveyor, and the hook number of each garment may be noted on thesales slip of the customer to whom that garment belongs. The clerk, whena customer arrives, may then simply set a dial to a number correspondingto that customers hook number, and the conveyor will operate to movethat book to the key position directly adjacent the clerk. The clerk maythus serve the customer without leaving his station, thereby effecting avaluable saving of time and effort.

The provision of a remote control device operable to perform the abovedescribed function is the primary objective of the present invention.The remote control device will, for the purposes of convenience, bedescribed herein in connection with a conveyor system as noted above,although it will be readily apparent that it is capable of many otheruses.

Other objects are extreme simplicity and economy of construction andoperation, elficiency and dependability of operation, the provision of aremote control device which at all times indicates the position of thecontrolled apparatus and which at all times renders the apparatussubject to instant control of the operator in the event of emergencies,and which is readily adaptable for use in many different applications.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appearin the course of the specification, reference will be had to thedrawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a conveyor system adapted forcontrol by a remote control device embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a somewhat irregular sectional view taken on line 11-11 ofFIG. 1, with parts left in elevation and partially broken away, showinga partially schematic layout of a remote control device embodying thepresent invention and including a front elevational view of the controlstation cabinet,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the control station cabinettaken on line III-III of FIG. 2, with parts left in elevation andpartially broken away,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IV--1V of FIG. 3,and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VV of FIG. 4.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the severalviews, and the numeral 2 applies generally to a conveyor shownfragmentarily in FIGS. 1 and 2. Said conveyor includes an elongated,horizontally disposed base plate 4 which may be supported by any,suitable means, not shown, such as floor-engaging standards or ceilinghangers. Adjacent one end of said base plate, a vertical shaft 6 issupported rotatably in bearings 8 carried by a bracket 10 vaffixed tosaid base plate, and a large toothed sprocket wheel 12 is ailixed tosaid shaft. An endless sprocket chain 14 is trained about said sprocketwheel, and extends along said base plate. It will be understood that theopposite end of said chain loop, not shown, is trained about a sprocketwheel similar to wheel 12, carried at the opposite end of the baseplate. Mounted on the chain, in any suitable manner so as not tointerfere with the movement of said chain over the sprockets, are aseries of brackets 16, to each of which is secured three depending books18, from which may be suspended garment hangers or any other objects.Let it be assumed that the portion of the chain passing about sprocket12 is directly adjacent the clerk of the drycleaning establishment andthat this therefore is the key position to which any of hooks 18 must beconveyed as desired. It will be understood that various structuraldetails of the conveyor, such as roller supports for chain 14intermediate the sprocket wheels, are not pertinent to the presentinvention and are not here shown.

The conveyor is driven by an electric motor 20 mounted on base plate 4,said motor acting through a speed reducer 22 to drive a shaft 24 onwhich is fixed a pulley 26. Said pulley is operably connected by belts28 to a pulley 30. Motor 20 is powered from electric line wires 32 and34 by an operative circuit including, in series, wires 32 and 36, mainswitch 38, wire 40', motor 20, wire 42, switching means to be describedcontained in control station cabinet 44, and wires 46 and 34. It willthus be apparent that so long as main switch 38 is closed, operation ofmotor 20 will depend entirely on the switching means contained incabinet 44. The wires 42 and 46 to the cabinet may of course be enclosedin a flexible cable 48, and the cabinet may be disposed at any desiredlocation remote from the conveyor such as on the counter behind whichthe clerk works.

Conveyor shaft 6 is connected to cabinet 44 by a flexible drive member50. Although such drive members are standard and well known, itcomprises essentially a flexible cable 52 (see FIG. 3) capable ofdelivering rotational motion from one end thereof to the other eventhough it may be curved and looped, enclosed in a flexible sheath 54. Atthe conveyor end of the drive member, said sheath is-secured to an endfitting 56 which is fixed by lock nuts 58 in a bracket 60 fixed to baseplate 4. Carried rotatably in said end fitting is a shaft 62 afiixed tocable 52 and extending outwardly from said fitting. Said shaft iscoaxial with conveyor shaft 6, engaging in a socket formed in the end ofsaid conveyor shaft and being secured non-rotatably therein by a setscrew 64-.

Control cabinet 44 is hollow and formed of sheet metal, having aninclined front wall 66, top wall 68, bottom wall 70, side walls 72, anda removable rear wall 74 secured in placc by screws 76. Flexible drivemember 50 and electric cable 48 enter said cabinet through a hole 78formed in said rear wall. Within said cabinet, sheath 54 of the drivemember is attached to an end fitting 80 which is afiixed by lock nuts 82in a bracket 84 extending between and welded or otherwise affixed to topwall 68 and bottom wall 70. Cable 52 is aflixed to a shaft 86 rotatablymounted in end fitting 8b and extending outwardly therefrom, theextended end of said shaft being retained rotatably in a hole 88 formedin front wall 66, a gear pinion 90 is fixed on said shaft intermediatesaid A front Wall and end fitting 80.

A hearing sleeve 92 extends centrally through front wall 66, beingafiixed therein by a lock nut 94. Said sleeve has a bronze bearingbushing 96 fitted therein. Carried rotatably in said bushing is atubular shaft 93. To the outer end of said shaft, externally of thecabinet, is

afiixed a planar circular dial 100, and to the inner end of said shaft,within the cabinet, is afiixed a gear wheel 102 which is meshed withpinion 90. Carried rotatably in tubular shaft 98 is a shaft 104. Aifixedto the outer end of shaft, externally of the cabinet, is a knob 106having a radial pointer 103 which by rotating the knob may be movedrelative to the calibrations of dial 100'. Within the cabinet, a planarfriction disc 110, is atfixed to shaft 104. Said friction disc normallyengages the planar face of gear wheel 102. The extreme rearward end ofshaft 104 is journaled in a hole 112 formed in bracket 84. The frictiondisc is normally held against the gear wheel by a coil spring 114disposed about shaft 104, bearing at one end against bracket 84 and atits opposite end against the hub of said friction disc, whereby saidfriction disc is caused to rotate with the gear wheel.

Mounted fixedly on the rearward face of friction disc 110, adjacent theperiphery thereof, is a rearwardly projecting rounded cam 116, which isadapted to operate a micro-switch 118. Said switch includes a housing120 affixed by screws 122 to a bracket 124 aflixed to bottom wall 70 ofthe cabinet, said screws extending through elongated slots 126 of saidbracket, whereby said housing may be adjusted toward and from thefriction disc. Such switches are common and well-known, but it will beunderstood that housing 120 encloses a normally closed switch, notshown, the members of which are connected respectively to externalterminals 128- and 130 of the housing. Wires 42 and 46 of the motorcircuit are connected respectively to said terminals, so that wheneversaid switch is closed, motor will be caused to operate. The switch isprovided with an operating button 132 extending outwardly from housing120, it being understood that while the switch is normally closed,inward pressure on button 132 will cause said switch to be opened.Button 132 is operated by a resilient arm 134 pivoted at one end tohousing 120, as at 136, bearing against the outer end of button 132, andhaving a roller 138 rotatably mounted at its opposite end, said rollerengaging the rearward face of friction disc 110. The switch is so spacedfrom the friction disc that so long as said disc is pressed firmlyagainst gear wheel, and is turned so that cam 116 does not engage roller138, switch 118 will remain closed. When the friction disc is thenturned by gear wheel 102 so that cam 116 passes under roller 138, switcharm 134 is pivoted to press inwardly on switch button 132, thus openingthe switch. It will be seen also that friction disc 110 may be moved tothe right as viewed in FIG. 3, against the pressure of spring 114, andhence out of contact with gear wheel 102, by pressing inwardly on knob106. This is possible since shaft 104, on which the friction disc andknob are mounted, is axially slidable in tubular shaft 98. When the knobis pressed inwardly in this manner, friction disc 110 engages roller 138and holds switch 118 open even though cam 116 is not engaging saidroller.

In the actual installation shown, the ratio of the number of teeth inpinion 90 to the number of teeth in gear wheel 102 is the same as theratio of the number of teeth in conveyor sprocket 12 to the number oflinks in conveyor chain 14, whereby gear wheel 102 will make one fullrevolution for each complete cycle of the chain. In FIG. 2 it will beseen that the conveyor hooks 18, although only three hooks are carriedby each bracket 16, are numbered from 1 to 9 in continuously repeatedcycles, and that the three brackets containing one cycle of numbers alsocarry an identifying number asindicated at 140. Thus each hook may beidentified by a composite number containing the bracket number and thehook number. The dial 100 is correspondingly calibrated, although in theinterest of simplifying the marking of the dial only the bracket numbersare shown thereon, not the numbers of the individual hooks. Obviously,however, any other suitable numbering system desired or useful could beemployed. In setting up the control system,

4;. the bracket number at the key station of the conveyor, say at aposition midway around sprocket 12, is noted. Then dial 100 is loosenedon its shaft 93, turned on said shaft till the corresponding dial numberis directly opposite an index pointer 142 imprinted on the face of thecabinet, and then fixed on said shaft. Thereafter, the number of saiddial opposite index 142 will at all times indicate the hook bracket ofthe conveyor which is at the key station. Also, knob 106 is loosened onshaft 104, turned on said shaft so that pointer 108 thereof is directlyopposite index 142 when cam 116 is holding switch 113 open, and thenfixed on said shaft. The device is then ready for use.

In use, the clerk first notes the number of the hook on which aparticular customers garments are located, from that customers salesslip, or some other index. He then presses inwardly on knob 106 andturns said knob till pointer 108 thereof indicates on dial 100 thebracket number of that hook, and releases the knob. Pressing inwardly onthe knob moves friction disc 110 away from gear wheel 102, so that theformer may turn independently of the latter as knob 106 is turned. Theinitial turning of the knob moves cam 116 away from switch roller 13%,but the switch still does not close since the friction plate at thistime is displaced rearwardly against spring 114 to a suflicient degreeto hold the switch open. When knob 106 is released, plate 110 is movedforwardly by spring 114 to engage gear wheel 102 friotionally, andallows the switch to close. This actuates motor 20 to drive theconveyor, and sprocket shaft 6 of the conveyor acts through flexibledrive unit 50 and pinion to rotate gear wheel 162 and friction disc 110.Operation continues in this manner until cam 116 again engage-s switchroller 138 and opensswitch 118, thereby shutting off motor 20. At thistime, the bracket 16 corresponding to the original setting of pointer108 on dial will be at the key station directly adjacent sprocket 12,and the clerk may remove the garments suspended therefrom without movingfrom his normal posit-ion.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of myinvention, and a particular application thereof, it will be readilyapparent that many minor changes of structure and operation of theapparatus, and numerous applications thereof, could be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a power-operated apparatus having an electricmotor for driving said apparatus and an operative electric circuitincluding said motor, a remote control device comprising a cabinet, anoperating member carried rotatably in said cabinet, meansinterconnecting said apparatus to said operating member whereby thelatter is rotated in synchronization with the former, a second operatingmember carried rotatably in said cabinet, means interconnecting saidoperating members whereby said second operating member is normallyrotated by said first operating member but being manually disengageableto permit independent rotation of said second operating member, anelectric switch included in the electric circuit of said motor andmounted in said cabinet, and a switch operating member carried by saidsecond operating member and positioned to engage and open said switch atone point in the rotation of said second operating member.

2. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said first operatingmember is fixed on a shaft rotatably mounted in said cabinet andextending externally thereof, and with the addition of a dial aifixed tosaid shaft externally of said housing whereby to rotate with said firstoperating member, said dial being calibrated according to a function ofsaid controlled apparatus and readable in conjunction with a fixed indexon said cabinet to indicate the condition of said apparatus relative tothe calibrated function.

3. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said second operatingmember is fixed on a shaft rotatably mounted in said cabinet andextending externally thereof, and with the addition of a dial mountedexternally of said housing coaxially with said shaft, meansinterconnecting said dial to said first operating member so as torotatetherewith and being calibrated according to a function of thecontrolled apparatus, and .a pointer afiixed to said shaft and beingrotatable therewith, whereby said pointer may be turned to any desiredposition relative to said dial whenever the means interconnecting saidfirst and second operating members is disengaged.

4. The structure as recited in claim 3 wherein said meansinterconnecting said first and second operating members constitutesresilient means urging said members into frictional engagement with eachother,'whereby said second operating member may be rotated relative tosaid first operating member by application to said second operatingmember of torque sufiicient to overcome s-aid frictional engagement.

5. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said first operatingmember constitutes a wheel having a planar face at right angles to itsaxis, and said second operating member constitutes a second wheelcoaxial with said first wheel and having a planar face at right anglesto its axis and confronting the planar face of said first wheel, andwherein saidmeans interconnecting said operating members constitutesresilient means biasing said wheels axially toward each other to urgesaid planar faces into frictional engagement.

6. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said first operatingmember comprises a planar-faced wheel fixed on a tubular shaftrota-tably mounted in said cabinet and extending externally thereof, andsaid second operating member constitutes a second planar-faced wheelfixed on a second shaft carried in said tubular shatt for rotation andaxial sliding movement therein, and extending externally of saidcabinet, and wherein said means interconnecting said operating membersconstitutes a spring urging said second shat-ft outwardly in saidtubular shaft to urge the planar faces of said wheel's frictionallytogether, whereby said second wheel may be moved against said spring outof engagement with said first wheel by inward pressure on said secondshaft. i

7. The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said switch is mountedadjacent the inner face of said second wheel and said switch operatingmember constitutes a cam aifixed to said second wheel and extendingtherefrom in a direction parallel to its axis, whereby to engage andopen said switch at one position in the rotation of said second wheel.

8. The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said switch is mountedadjacent the inner face of said second wheel and said switch operatingmember constitutes a cam affixed to said second wheel and extendingtherefrom in a direction parallel to its axis, whereby to engage andopen said switch at one position in the rotation of said second wheel,the extension of said cam from said second wheel being less than theaxial movement of said second wheel provided by inward pressure on saidsecond shaft, whereby said second wheel will engage and open said switchwhenever said second shaft is pressed inwardly, regardless of theangular position of said cam.

9. The structure as recited in claim 6 with the addition of a dial fixedto said tubular shaft externally of said cabinet, said dial beingcalibrated according to a function of the controlled apparatus and beingreadable in connection with an index mark on said cabinet to indicatethe condition of said apparatus in relation to said function, and a knobfixed to the outer end of said shaft, said knob having a pointer thereonadapted to be rotated to any desired calibration on said dial.

10. A remote control device adapted for controlling the positioning of adevice having a prime mover comprising a first rotataible member, meansfor driving said first member in timed synchronization with a device tobe controlled, a second rotatable member, means interconnecting saidfirst and second rotatable members whereby the latter is normallyrotated by the former and which permits independent manual rotation ofsaid second member, an actuating device having an operative state and anonoperative state and adapted to efiect operation of such prime moverwhen in such operative state, and operating means carried by said secondmember and operable at one point in the rotation of said second memberto operate said actuating device to its nonoperative state.

-11. A remote control device as in claim 10 wherein said actuatingdevice is an electric switch.

12. A remote control device as in claim 11 wherein said operating meansis a cam on said second member, said switch including an Operator in thepath of said cam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,223,207 11/1940 Ellis 318-4662,352,156 6/1944 Anderson 318-466 2,459,876 1/ 1949 Gibson 318-4662,656,027 10/ 1953' Crookston 192138 2,915,120 12/1959 Smith 318---466DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. LEONARD H. GE'R IN, Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A POWER-OPERATED APPARATUS HAVING AN ELECTRICMOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID APPARATUS AND AN OPERATIVE ELECTRIC CIRCUITINCLUDING SAID MOTOR, A REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING A CABINET, ANOPERATING MEMBER CARRIED ROTATABLY IN SAID CABINET, MEANSINTERCONNECTING SAID APPARATUS TO SAID OPERATING MEMBER WHEREBY THELATTER IS ROTATED IN SYNCHRONIZATION WITH THE FORMER, A SECOND OPERATINGMEMBER CARRIED ROTATABLY IN SAID CABINET, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAIDOPERATING MEMBERS WHEREBY SAID SECOND OPERATING MEMBER IS NORMALLYROTATED BY SAID FIRST OPERATING MEMBER BUT BEING MANUALLY DISENGAGEABLETO PERMIT INDEPENDENT ROTATION OF SAID SECOND OPERATING MEMBER, ANELECTRIC SWITCH INCLUDED IN THE ELECTRIC CIRCUIT OF SAID MOTOR ANDMOUNTED IN SAID CABINET, AND A SWITCH OPERATING MEMBER CARRIED BY SAIDSECOND OPERATING MEMBER AND POSITIONED TO ENGAGE AND OPEN SAID SWITCH ATONE POINT IN THE ROTATION OF SAID SECOND OPERATING MEMBER.